The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating a domestic appliance, which circuit arrangement features a control device for executing programs of the domestic appliance. The invention further relates to a method for operating a control device of a domestic appliance.
Modern domestic appliances, such as washing machines and dryers in particular, are customarily equipped with a program selector which is normally provided as a control panel of rotatably mounted rotary knobs. The aim of the present invention is for these domestic appliances to switch off autonomously after completion of a previously selected program.
The publication DE 20 2006 018 467 U1 discloses a domestic appliance comprising a power switch via which the domestic appliance can be connected to a power supply or disconnected from the power supply. The power switch can be actuated by an operator in this case. The domestic appliance also features a control device which, after completion of a program of the domestic appliance, opens the power switch and hence disconnects the domestic appliance from the power supply.
Furthermore, the publication DE 10 2006 054 539 B3 discloses a method for generating a low-voltage supply of an electrical control device of a domestic appliance. In this case, a power unit can be set to active mode by applying a switching signal to its activation input. In this case, the switching signal is transferred to the power unit via a switch which is provided as a program selector, for example.
The publication DE 103 19 132 A1 describes an operating device for selecting an operating program of a domestic appliance. The operating device comprises a rotary knob which is connected to a magnetic Hall sensor via a shaft. The shaft is mounted such that it can be both rotated and axially displaced. By means of rotating the rotary knob, a magnetic field of the Hall sensor can be caused to change. An evaluation unit receives signals from the Hall sensor. Depending on the signals of the Hall sensor, the evaluation unit deduces the operating program of the domestic appliance as selected by the operator. An axial displacement of the shaft also causes a change in the magnetic field of the Hall sensor. The axial displacement of the shaft and the associated change in the magnetic field can be assigned an additional function, specifically e.g. the function “Pause” or “Stop”. In other words, an operator can select an additional function of the domestic appliance by pulling or pushing the rotary knob.